


If (I tell you like this now)

by ShadowedMelody (ShadowedMaiden)



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drinking, Drunken Confessions, Fluff, Holidays, Implied/Referenced Bullying, Light Angst, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Vague and Inaccurate Portrayals of Korean University Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-07 08:57:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8791456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowedMaiden/pseuds/ShadowedMelody
Summary: It's not that Park Jinyoung hates people, it's just that he's not very good with them and he doesn't see much point in taking the time to get to know someone only to have them fade from his life the next year. He has a handful of close friends and that's enough for him. Except, lately, he finds himself getting to know an awful lot about a certain Mark Tuan, and he's beginning to realize just how worthwhile some things can be.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [JinyoungFicFest](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/JinyoungFicFest) collection. 



> **Summary updated: 31 Dec 2016** (it's still awful, I'm sorry!)
> 
>  **Prompt:**  
>  5 things Mark said when he was drunk (+ 1 he said when he was sober?)
> 
> (in which Mark is a lightweight and spills his secrets when he's drunk and Jinyoung is the one who hears them)
> 
> Rating is up to the writer
> 
> \---
> 
> This was originally going to be a short and fluffy fic, but it ran away with me. I hope you can forgive me!

Parties aren’t really Jinyoung’s thing. If given a choice, he would much rather stay home and read or study, much to Jaebum’s dismay. However, even his best friend’s frequent accusations that Jinyoung is basically the most boring person he knows isn’t enough to motivate Jinyoung to leave the quiet of the library or the relative peace and safety of his privileged single dorm for anything less than special occasions. The only reason Jinyoung is currently surrounded by loud music and drunk university students is because Jaebum had practically begged him to come along as their designated driver. Not that they really needed one since the party was only on the other side of campus, but Youngjae had joined the pleading, and Jinyoung has a massive weak spot for the younger boy that he would probably be more ashamed of if it wasn’t a weakness also shared by 99.9% of the people Youngjae has met. In any case, it’s thanks to Youngjae’s unresistible puppy eyes that Jinyoung now finds himself sitting on a dingy couch in the emptiest corner of Jackson’s frat house, trying to lose himself in a book and tune out chaos of people yelling over the blaring speakers while he waits for Jaebum and Youngjae to come find him and let him escape back to his room. 

“Jinyoungie!”

Perking up at the sound of his name, Jinyoung searches the room in hopes of seeing Jaebum stumbling drunkenly towards him with Youngjae in tow, but instead it’s Jackson pushing his way through the groups of students, and Jinyoung tries to muster up a smile that makes him look at least a little more willing to be there, considering Jackson’s one of the party’s hosts. The smile drops quickly though when he notices the head of light brown hair resting on Jackson’s shoulder a moment before a tangle of slender limbs and baggy fabric is dumped gracelessly onto the cushions next to him in a burst of high, lilting giggles.

“Um–”

“Jinyoung! I’m glad you’re here!” Cutting Jinyoung off, Jackson beams at him like he didn’t just dump a giggling mess of human and oversized sweater practically into Jinyoung’s lap. “I have a favor to ask you! You’re sober, right?” He barely waits for Jinyoung’s nod before continuing with another bright smile. “Great! Can you keep an eye on Mark–Mark-hyung, you know, my roommate, the one from America–for me? I’m supposed to be supervising a beer pong game, but I can’t leave Mark-hyung unattended when he’s drunk or else he gets into trouble.” Pausing in his tirade of words, Jackson gives Mark a look that’s so sickeningly fond that Jinyoung has to consciously suppress the urge to grimace, glancing down at where the lump of tan wool, brown hair, and limbs–Mark–is wiggling around in what might be an attempt to roll over. “He just needs to be kept from drinking himself into a coma. Or accidentally setting the house on fire. You can keep an eye on him, right?”

It takes Jinyoung a moment to realize that Jackson is actually waiting for his response this time, and he pulls his gaze from Mark’s struggles to find Jackson looking at him with the same earnest expression that dragged Jinyoung to his last party. Where, come to think of it, he’d also had a drunk person dumped on him, though at least Bambam was someone he actually knew as more than a friend of a friend. 

Thinking back to Bambam’s treatment of tabletops like dance floors and deciding that polite excuses are probably in his best interest if he hopes to avoid another drunk-sitting fiasco, Jinyoung plasters on his best apologetic smile. “I really don’t think I can, Jackson. I’m just waiting on Jaebum-hyung and Youngjae, and then I’m driving them–”

“But Jaebum-hyung and Youngjae already left!” Jackson jerks his thumb over his shoulder, and Jinyoung blinks, looking past him like there’s some kind of actual explanation there and not just a milling crowd of clueless partiers. 

“Both of them? But neither of them said anything…” Fumbling for his phone, Jinyoung frowns at the lack of messages, and navigates to Jaebum’s contact info, already fuming at being ditched without a word. 

“They both looked pretty busy when I saw them.” 

The waggle of Jackson’s eyebrows tells Jinyoung enough, and he stops before hitting the call button, wrinkling his nose at just the idea of his best friend or proclaimed younger brother in compromising situations. He’ll deal with their rude abandonment at some point when he’s not likely to catch a hint of whatever–or whomever–either of them are doing right now, but the realization of being left behind by two of his closest friends isn't putting him in any more of a mood to be used for a favor by a third. Besides, he can feel that brown hair rubbing against his thigh as the guy finally manages to turn on his side, facing out into the room, and one of his main reasons for skipping most parties is to avoid having random people touching him.

Shoving his phone back into his pocket with more force than necessary, Jinyoung reaches for the jacket he’d thrown over the arm of the sofa. “Fine, then that means I can go home too. Besides, I didn’t really come here to keep an eye on some random stranger.” 

“But Mark’s not a stranger...” 

Catching the look of confusion on Jackson’s face a moment before Mark finally rolls onto his back, the vague familiarity of the name clicks into place as the boy blinks dazedly up at him because he does actually recognize those wide eyes, pink lips, and delicate features, even if he’d forgotten the name of their owner. His jacket slips out of his grip to dangle towards the floor again. 

“Oh.”

Apparently, Jinyoung isn’t the only one caught off guard by sudden recognition because the guy’s mouth gets stuck on the shape of the word, leaving him gaping, and it takes Jackson’s loud clap to break their stares as an awkward moment of silence stretches between them. Narrowing his eyes to cover how inexplicably flustered this sudden reintroduction has made him, Jinyoung switches to glaring at Jackson instead as Mark startles and jostles his leg once more.

“There! See! You do know each other!” Not looking the slightest bit bothered by the deepening of Jinyoung’s glare, Jackson tosses him a water bottle that Jinyoung hadn’t noticed him holding. “This is for Mark–make sure you drink it, hyung! Make sure he drinks it, Jinyoung–and I’ll find you guys after the games are over. Have fun!”

With that, Jackson takes off, swallowed by the milling groups of students before his words have fully sunk in, and Jinyoung is left to glare vaguely around the room after him, cursing him mentally and hoping that Jackson will feel the heat of his irritation even from a distance. He’s not sure it works, but he startles a girl who makes eye contact with him enough that she drops her cup, so he considers it a success of sorts.

“Hi.”

Mark’s light voice interrupts his mental ranting, but his tentative smile fades when Jinyoung’s glare lands on him in turn, wide eyes widening even further, and Jinyoung feels another flicker of irritation at Jackson as he decides–a bit guiltily–that it isn't fair to take out his flustered annoyance on Mark just because he was dumped there. The discomfort in Mark’s expression as he stares up at him makes it obvious that he wasn’t expecting to be left like this either, and Jinyoung tries to smooth out his features, taking a calming breath. 

“Hello.”

At Jinyoung’s even tone, the crease between Mark’s eyebrows eases, and he returns to blinking those round eyes up at him. Taking in how dazed he still looks, Jinyoung wonders just how drunk the guy really is and what he’s going to have to deal with until Jackson’s return. The first time Youngjae had gotten completely wasted, he had pillowed his head in Jinyoung’s lap and periodically asked him, “why are you upside down, hyung?” for twenty minutes before rushing off to lose his dinner, but considering the fact that he had also asked Jinyoung the same question more than once after a late night studying, Mark staring like Jinyoung’s head is on backwards could be mean he’s anywhere from tipsy and ready to put Jinyoung through a sequel to Bambam’s drunk recital to the verge of passing out in an alcohol-induced coma.

After another long moment of silence and awkward eye contact though, Jinyoung decides that blank staring isn’t really going to tell him much more about Mark’s condition and looks away, trying to ignore the flustered discomfort prickling along his spine. Shifting a little closer to the arm of the couch, he lifts his book again and tries to focus on that instead. It’s mostly an excuse to avoid looking at Mark, even if he can still feel the other’s eyes on him, and he feels another niggle of guilt for so obviously ignoring him as he struggles to get back into the flow of the story because it’s not as if he particularly minds Mark himself, but their brief introduction at the start of the school year didn’t really prepared Jinyoung for trying to entertain him. Especially when Jinyoung is busy trying to pretend that his recognition of Mark doesn’t come as much from that meeting as it does from the secretive staring he’s been doing when he's caught sight of the other boy’s–excessively pretty–face over the past seven months, and Mark is drunk and apparently entertained enough by his own, less secretive staring at Jinyoung. Jackson only asked Jinyoung to keep Mark out of trouble anyway, and he can do that just as well while reading and avoiding making contact with those wide eyes and delicate features. 

Forcing himself to not think about the fact that the subject of more than a couple vague daydreams over the last semester and a half is currently laying next to him and under his supervision, Jinyoung's gotten about a page and a half further in his book before Mark stirs, and he resolutely avoids looking down when Mark’s shifting shoves the top of his head into Jinyoung’s thigh. Concentrating on the words in front of him and not the brush of soft hair against his khakis, he flips the page, then freezes when a slender finger appears between him and the novel, smoothing the turned page into place. 

Risking a glance, he finds that Mark’s attention has shifted to the book, a small smile tugging at his lips as he runs his finger over the text. 

“Hangul is so pretty.” With Mark’s soft voice barely louder than a whisper, Jinyoung has to focus to hear it over all the noise, and he watches Mark’s smile fade, eyebrows pulling together as he runs his finger over the print again. “But it's still so hard to read in Korean.”

Their eyes meet when Mark suddenly rolls his head back up, and Jinyoung feels a slight rush of embarrassment at being caught staring, even if Mark seems oblivious to any fresh awkwardness, blinking slowly as his lips push out in a small, pink pout. 

“I miss reading.”

Distracted by Mark’s sudden confession and his pitiful expression, it takes Jinyoung a moment to realize that Mark seems to be waiting for some kind of reply, and he blurts the first thing that comes to mind. “You like reading?” 

Wincing when the question comes out sounding almost rudely surprised, Jinyoung silently curses the lack of tact he seems to have around the other boy, but Mark doesn’t seem offended, humming softly as his gaze flicks back to the book. 

“Yes.” His fingers run over the words one last time, then drop back to his side, and his round eyes seem impossibly large when they fix on Jinyoung’s again, voice edging even closer to a whisper. “But it's a secret.”

Taking a second to make sure he’s not misunderstanding Mark between his accent and slightly slurred words, Jinyoung tilts his head, frowning in confusion as he lowers the book to his lap. “It's a secret that you like reading?”

Mark nods, head rubbing against Jinyoung’s thigh with the exaggerated movement. “No one’s supposed to know ‘cause I'm supposed to be a cool kid. I do sports and I'm friends with all the jocks, and it's not cool to read.” Pausing, Mark blinks up at Jinyoung. “In America, I mean. In America, it's not cool to read. I bet it's cool here because you're doing it, and you're cool.”

Thrown by the eclectic explanation, Jinyoung isn't really sure what part he's supposed to address–or how to deal with being called cool despite all of Jaebum’s instances to the contrary–but Mark doesn't seem to be waiting for an answer this time, and Jinyoung feels a bubble of bewildered amusement as he continues.

“I always wrote my papers and took tests based on SparkNotes back hom–back in America.” Noting the flicker of his eyes when Mark corrects himself, Jinyoung’s curiosity about the slip of tongue mingles with his question of what a spark note is, but he doesn’t interrupt Mark’s jumbled story, too entertained in his confusion. “It was what all my friends did, and I didn't want to stand out too much or…or be weird or anything. So I never read the books during the school year. I would keep the list and read them during breaks, but not during the classes.” Mark pauses, eyes widening at Jinyoung abruptly as he waves a hand messily in the air between them. “Wait. That's a secret too. Don’t tell anyone, okay?”

Biting his lips together, Jinyoung swallows a smile at Mark’s sudden earnestness over keeping his reading habits a secret. “Okay, I won’t.” Mark huffs out a relieved sigh, and Jinyoung struggles again to keep his expression neutral. “But why wait until break? Why not read them during the school year and just keep it a secret then?”

Forehead wrinkling again, Mark considers this, and Jinyoung ignores the brief urge to smooth the creases out. “I was busy with my sports and martial arts, and I was always meeting with my friends, so I didn't have a lot of time for reading…” Trailing off, Mark’s gaze darts to Jinyoung once again, and Jinyoung fights another twitch of his lips when Mark’s eyes glint cheekily, mouth pursing in an almost smile. “Except for manga and comics. There’s always time for comics and anime.”

Jinyoung’s eyes crinkle. “You read manga instead of your school books?”

The grin that accompanies Mark’s nod is bright and shameless. “I wanted to be like Naruto.” Catching his bottom lip between his teeth, he runs his gaze over Jinyoung and lets out a little hum. “I bet your favorite was Sasuke with your whole dark and brooding image–”

Jinyoung can’t help the burst of laughter that forces its way out. It’s loud, even over the sound of the music, and a few people glance his way, but Jinyoung ignores their stares, losing himself to his amusement. Grinning back at him, Mark’s eyes are wide and delighted, and Jinyoung finally has to clap a hand over his own mouth to get himself back under control, trying to pretend that Mark’s bright smile isn’t sending warm prickles over his skin. 

“I have a dark and brooding image?” Still trying to stifle the last of his laughter, the words are muffled behind his palm, but Jinyoung is glad for the barrier of skin when his cheeks warm under the weight of Mark’s gaze as he tilts his head to study him carefully.

When he finally nods, Mark’s hair brushes against Jinyoung’s leg again, but Jinyoung doesn’t mind as much this time, finding himself relaxing against his expectations. It might just be the alcohol affecting the other boy, but there’s something about Mark that’s easy to be around–a brightness and gentleness that that goes beyond his pretty face and soft appearance and makes Jinyoung feel surprisingly comfortable in his company. Plus, Jinyoung can’t help but be amused by his random topics of conversation.

“It’s because you don’t laugh enough. You should laugh more.” Tilting his head, Mark’s mouth curves up again. “I like your laugh.”

The warmth in Jinyoung’s cheeks burns hotter, and he rubs at them, raising an eyebrow at Mark as he tries to hide his flustered response to the unexpected confession. “How do you know I don’t laugh enough? Maybe I laugh all the time when I’m not trapped at parties and surrounded by drunk people.”

It occurs to him a little late that his words could come off as offensive to Mark, one of those drunk people, but Mark doesn’t seem bothered. Instead, he gives Jinyoung a knowing look that’s slightly ruined by a slow blink and quiet hiccup. “I know things. I know a lot of things about you, Jinyoungie.”

Jinyoung realizes that it’s the first time he can remember hearing Mark say his name. Mark says it a little funny, his American accent showing in the vowels, and Jinyoung can’t help finding it cutely endearing, and his lips twitch up again.

“If Jackson’s been telling stories about me, I swear they’re all lies, and I will absolutely put green dye in his shampoo.”

Shaking his head, Mark’s expression falls into a pout as his bottom lip pushes out. “No, no. It’s not Jackson.” He pauses and frowns, rethinking the statement. “Okay, it’s a little bit Jackson, but it’s because I see you a lot. On campus. I see you.”

It’s Jinyoung’s turn to frown. “You see me a lot?” 

Mark nods again. “I sit behind you in our Economics class.” 

Blinking, Jinyoung analyzes this revelation and finds that he has no memory of Mark being in his class at all. Not that he can pull up many memories of most of the faces he’s around on a regular basis–usually too focused on his classes, friends, or a book to worry about strangers–but the idea that he’s completely missed the presence of someone he sort of knew is a bit different. He has a sinking feeling that Jaebum might have a point in saying that Jinyoung should take more interest in the world around him, even if Jinyoung has always been loath to admit it considering Jaebum’s own obliviousness. He can’t help thinking about it now though, and the idea that Mark’s been sitting behind him for over half a semester without him noticing has him feeling strangely guilty, wondering if they might have talked sooner if he hadn’t been so caught up in other things. He ignores the other part of him that feels disappointed to have missed a full two months worth of class time glimpses of pretty features fixed in concentration.

Apparently sensing Jinyoung’s internal struggle, Mark gives him a soft smile. “It’s okay if you don’t remember. I come in after you, so you wouldn’t see me when I see you during class. Sometimes I see you before class, but you’re always busy. You read a lot of books. Did you know that?” Jinyoung’s lips twitch up as Mark’s smile gets warmer, but then Mark’s face falls, forehead wrinkling with sudden concern. “Oh. It’s supposed to be a secret though. Jackson said I should talk to you, but I told him not to say anything.”

“But you’re telling me now.” Jinyoung’s fingers slip from between the pages of his book when he shifts restlessly, but he’s far less interested in the lost page number than Mark’s surprising confessions. Running his hand through his hair, Jinyoung tries to keep his voice casual, not sure why he suddenly feels nervous. “Why are you telling me if it’s supposed to be a secret?”

“I guess you’re not as scary as I thought.” 

The answer is so unexpected–delivered in a somber tone as Mark’s wide eyes roam over his face–that it forces a second laugh out of Jinyoung, the sound equal parts startled, amused, and relieved. He feels the tension that had been building in his shoulders vanish, collapsing back against the couch in his amusement.

“You thought I was scary too? Dark, brooding, and scary… What kind of first impression did I make, hyung?” The familiar title slips out without Jinyoung thinking about it, but he makes no effort to take it back, grinning down at Mark instead.

“You were only scary ‘cause I wanted to be friends with you.” Despite the lingering solemnity in Mark’s voice, his lips tug up at the corners in response to Jinyoung’s laughter, and he points a finger at Jinyoung’s face, waving it vaguely. “You have a nice smile and laugh. I liked them when we met and wanted to know you better, but I was too shy.”

Ignoring the dull flush under his skin at yet another unexpected revelation, Jinyoung lets his grin stretch wide, deliberately dragging his gaze over Mark’s sprawled form and the place where his head has been pressing into Jinyoung’s thigh for the past twenty minutes. “You don’t seem very shy to me.”

“That’s because I’m drunk. I do weird things and talk more when I’m drunk.” Tone matter of fact, Mark accompanies the statement with another little nod as he lifts his hand and holds it in front of him, studying it. Jinyoung’s eyes catch on the slender spread of his fingers when Mark wiggles them in the air. “I think I drank too much. Drunk too much.” He blinks twice and drops his hand back to his chest, meeting Jinyoung’s gaze again. “Drank too much?”

Jinyoung bites his lips against another smile, not wanting to seem like he’s mocking Mark, but he’s pretty sure his amusement gets spotted by the other boy anyway when his attention drops to his twitching mouth. “Drank too much, yes.” Mark’s lip juts out when he looks back to Jinyoung’s eyes again, and Jinyoung finally manages to hide his smile. “Why did you drink so much, then?”

“I was nervous.” Pout fading into something more serious as his lower lip disappears between his teeth, Mark’s gaze shifts from Jinyoung to the room at large, and Jinyoung realizes that he’d almost forgotten about the barely controlled chaos around them. “I don’t like parties, but Jackson made me come anyway, and then there were so many people everywhere and…” Mark trails off, his hands disappearing into the cuffs of his sweater when he tugs them down. “I don’t like being around people.”

The obvious discomfort in Mark’s body language paired with the sudden confession throws Jinyoung, and he pulls back slightly, only now noticing the way he’d been instinctively leaning closer to Mark throughout their conversation. 

“I’m sorry.” He’s not even sure what he’s apologizing for considering that he wasn’t the one who dragged Mark to a party or dumped him with a virtual stranger, but he finds himself feeling guilty for thinking he was the only one being inconvenienced by the situation. “Would you like me to leave you alone, then?” Mark’s eyes flick back to Jinyoung’s face, widening, and Jinyoung flounders, thrown again by the unreadable look in them. “I just mean that you don’t seem like you’re going to get into too much trouble, and if you don’t like–”

“No!” Mark’s exclamation is loud, and Jinyoung can see people turning towards them again, but he’s more focused on the way Mark is flailing on the sofa, expression anxious as he tries to right himself. Catching him when he almost topples onto the floor, Jinyoung grips his shoulders and pulls him back from the edge, and Mark follows willingly, his eyes still focused on Jinyoung. “No, you don’t have to leave. Please–please don’t leave.” His hands wrap loosely around Jinyoung’s wrists, lip pushing out in yet another pout, and it occurs to Jinyoung that he’s finally found someone with a begging face to rival Youngjae’s. “I don’t mind you being here. Being around you is nice.”

“Okay.” There’s a trickle of warmth under Jinyoung’s skin starting from where Mark’s hands rest against his wrists, but he tells himself that he’s only staying because Mark seems so desperate and not because he’s developing a soft spot for round eyes, a bright smile, and a boy who gets too honest when he drinks. Certainly, Mark’s implication that he, or at least his company, is somehow special has nothing to do with it. Besides, Jackson asked him to watch Mark until he got back, and he’s still busy being a proper host and getting other students wasted. “I’ll stay, if you want me to.”

Beaming happily, Mark sags in relief, and Jinyoung can’t help wondering if maybe there’s some truth to Jackson’s insistence that he can’t leave a drunk Mark unsupervised after all when he has to keep him from toppling off the couch once more. He uses that as his final excuse to himself as he coaxes Mark to lay back down again after swaying dizzily, and Jinyoung pretends he doesn’t notice when Mark’s head ends up resting on his thigh instead of next to it, deliberately reaching for the water bottle he’d almost forgotten that Jackson had left.

“You’re nice.” Mark’s statement catches Jinyoung by surprise, and he freezes, blinking down at Mark with the water in hand. Mark smiles back at him happily, wriggling a bit on the couch and nuzzling into Jinyoung’s thigh. “I thought you would be, but you’re even nicer than I thought. Jackson didn’t tell me you were so nice.”

“That’s because I’m not nice.” Heat rising in Jinyoung’s cheeks, he twists off the cap of the bottle and offers the liquid to Mark more forcefully than he’d planned, sloshing some water onto his sweater.

Mark just giggles at the splash and scrunches his nose at Jinyoung before taking a long sip, and Jinyoung ignores the flustered twisting of his stomach.

“You are.” 

Taking the bottle out of Mark’s hand and putting the cap back on before it spills again, Jinyoung decides that it’s probably too immature to get into an ‘are not/are too’ argument when at least one of them is sober, but Mark continues on his own anyway.

“You pretend you don’t like anyone, but I bet you’re the kind of person who stays with people when they vomit.”

“Lovely.” Putting all the dryness he can muster into his tone, Jinyoung tries to cover his embarrassment, flustered all over again by how easily Mark can apparently see through his carefully cultivated image of aloof disdain. 

With another bubbling laugh that tells him he’s probably not fooling anyone anyway, Mark wriggles more, twisting around until he’s laying on his side and facing Jinyoung, cheek pillowed just above Jinyoung’s knee. “Your friends are lucky to have a friend like you, Park Jinyoung.” 

Unsure of how to deal with the earnestness in Mark’s gaze and the confusing tightness in his chest, Jinyoung looks away. “I’m not that great of a friend. Jaebum and the kids tell me I nag too much.”

“Shh.” Mark’s hand is aimless but gentle when it brushes against Jinyoung’s thigh and rests there, and Jinyoung looks back to find Mark’s smile muted, a hint of sadness at the corners of his mouth. “You are great. I would be happy to have a friend like you.”

“We can be friends then.” The words fall out of Jinyoung’s mouth unplanned, and Mark goes still, eyes widening. Inhaling slowly and wondering if he’s going to end up regretting this impulsivity, Jinyoung shrugs, glancing away from Mark’s stare once again and trying to look casual. He’s not sure his voice quite manages it though, sounding awkward to his ears when he hurries to continue. “Only if you want, of course. And I’m warning you now that I’m not nearly as good of a friend as you seem to think, so don’t–”

“It’s okay!” Mark’s voice is high and eager, and Jinyoung looks down to see the widest, brightest grin he thinks he’s ever seen in his life. His chest gives a little squeeze at the happiness in Mark’s eyes, all thoughts of regret drifting away as his lips twitch up instinctively in response. “As long as you’re not secretly a pigeon, I don’t care about anything else!”

His slur is worsened in his excitement, and Jinyoung tilts his head, a smile tugging at his cheeks as he tries to figure out if he heard Mark’s condition correctly. “A pigeon? Do you have something against pigeons?”

“Yes. They’re evil.” 

The twist of Mark’s face as he says it is comically extreme, and Jinyoung can’t help laughing again, the last of his hesitance over this unusually impulsive friendship dissolving into breathless laughter that has him collapsing into the couch cushions with a hand over his mouth. Ignoring the odd stares from the people lingering around them, Jinyoung’s grin stays plastered to his face all through Mark’s convoluted account of the time he was chased by the “pigeon mafia” for a slice of pizza as a child, his lingering fear of pigeons, and on through a series of impassioned confessions and rants regarding his favorite and least favorite foods prompted by Jinyoung’s amused comments and questions, and Jinyoung can’t remember the last time he felt this relaxed and happy.

Somewhere between a tirade against some American burger restaurant that Jinyoung has never heard of and a story about a time that Mark put salt in his older sister’s tea after she annoyed him, Mark’s words start getting more slurred, his Korean stuttered and broken up by English words and wide yawns. Jinyoung finds himself struggling to hide softer smiles as silences between sentences begin to stretch, Mark’s blinks getting increasingly longer and slower, and he feels an odd sense of contented victory when Mark’s eyes finally drift closed with a soft exhale and stay that way. 

For a moment, Jinyoung watches Mark breathing softly, eyelashes casting light shadows against his still flushed cheeks above the slight part of his pink lips, and he’s reminded of the little thrill he would get when he caught glimpses of Mark on campus. The creep-factor of watching a near stranger sleeping, even one he's decided to befriend, is too strong to ignore though, and he looks away, embarrassed. Moving carefully to avoid waking him, Jinyoung finally picks up his book again, attempting to pass the time until Jackson returns, but he doesn't make much progress this time either–too distracted by sneaking glances at Mark’s peaceful face, denying his actions to himself, and glaring daggers at anyone who comes too close or makes too much noise nearby. 

That's how Jackson finds him half an hour later, Yugyeom at his shoulder and an arsenal full of excuses and repentant expressions for making Jinyoung wait so long. Suddenly awkward when faced with Jackson’s intrusive presence and Yugyeom’s raised eyebrows, Jinyoung doesn't have the nerve to protest when Jackson directs Yugyeom to pick up Mark and take the older boy to their room, but he can’t resist stopping them before they get far.

“Wait. Let me write something down first.”

There's a pen on the floor under the side table but no paper, and Jinyoung hesitates for only a moment before pulling his bookmark out of his book and scribbling on it. 

_ Mark-hyung,  _

_ I don't know if you're going to remember anything when you wake up, but… If you ever need a friend, I meant it. You’re nice to be around too.  _

He finishes off with his phone number, trying to hide the message from the curious gazes of the other two, but Yugyeom still gives him a little smirk when Jinyoung tucks the makeshift note into Mark’s back pocket. Glaring again, Jinyoung smacks his shoulder, but Yugyeom’s grin only widens as he heads off through the slowly thinning crowd with Mark curled up in his arms, and Jinyoung tries to ignore his little flare of disappointment when they finally disappear. 

***

Taking advantage of the weekend and for once ignoring his ever-looming coursework in favor of making up for lost sleep, Jinyoung sleeps late the next morning. It's the chime of his phone that wakes him, the incoming message tone cutting through his dreams, and Jinyoung rolls over, flailing for the device. Screen blinding him when he turns it on, it takes Jinyoung a moment to make out the message from an unknown number, but then his lips curl up, and he blinks away the the last of his sleepiness with a light tingle under his skin. 

_ From Unknown: _

_ Thanks Jinyoungie  _

It only takes Jinyoung a moment to save the contact information and type out a reply of his own.

_ To Mark-hyung: _

_ Anytime. _

The thing that surprises Jinyoung the most is how much he means it. 


	2. Chapter 2

“What am I getting myself into?”

The couple pushing past him ignore his mutter, and Jinyoung ignores them in return. It's not as if he expects them to have an answer for why he's standing on the curb of Jackson’s frat house watching partying college students go in and out for the second time in as many weeks any more than he expects them to explain the weird, nervous fluttering in his stomach. The rows of carved pumpkins and candles lining the path to the open door that’s leaking music into the night air stare back at him as he lingers on the curb, and Jinyoung grits his teeth, bracing himself for the crowd of costumed partiers he can see through the door. Despite Jinyoung’s longstanding appreciation of all things associated with Halloween, his traditional celebration of the holiday usually consists of horror movies, his creepiest novels, and a bucket of candy that he bought for himself, not attending overly festive parties or wearing stupid costumes. Which does nothing to explain his presence on the curb or the awkward brush of cheap costume fabric against his skin. He's still not entirely sure how or why he ended up here. Or rather, he's not entirely sure he wants to admit to himself how he ended up here.

Fiddling with the headband over his forehead, Jinyoung runs his fingers through his hair and sighs, checking his phone for the tenth time since he left his dorm. It's as futile as the last nine times he looked at it. His notifications tell him he has a couple dozen missed messages from his friends asking where he is and demanding he ‘hurry his slow ass up’, but there's no sign of the person he's been hoping to hear from, and that’s probably at least half the reason for Jinyoung’s nerves now—not that he's eager to admit it. It's not that he needs to know if Mark's going to be at the party—he's told himself firmly that it doesn't really matter if he's there or not—but Jinyoung's never been a fan of uncertainty, and Mark's been causing him an excessive amount of uncertainty in the two weeks since the last party.

Logically, Mark should be here tonight because he's Jackson's roommate, so it's his house too. Besides, even if he doesn't like parties, their new habit of actually talking before and after class had led to a revelation from Mark on Thursday that Halloween was one of his favorite holidays as well, but class had started before Jinyoung had managed to ask him about the frat party, and he'd been too awkward to bring it up afterwards. He’d planned to ask Mark in a message instead, thinking it would be easier to slip the question into one of their brief exchanges between classes, but he deleted it before he could send it—feeling too awkward when the stark text glaring back at him made the simple ‘will you be at the Halloween party?’ sound expectant and full of weird subtext. So now he's stuck standing on the curb simultaneously doubting everything and hearing Jaebum's voice in his head taunting him for being so skittish and awkward.

He knows he's being ridiculous even without the imagined commentary from Jaebum, but trying to get to know Mark over the last couple of weeks is reminding him of just how long it's been since he bothered trying to befriend anyone and just how awkward he's always been around new people. He's not sure if it helps or hurts that Mark’s quieter when he’s sober. He’s less open and excitable even though he still smiles just as brightly, and Jinyoung likes his softer, introverted side as much as his drunk and talkative one, but it’s been making it hard for him to really tell where they stand with each other. He’d extended his friendship and Mark had accepted, but Mark had also been wasted, and Jinyoung didn’t want to hold him to some drunken agreement just because Jinyoung’s realizing that he enjoys Mark’s whispered snarky comments about their classmates or his attentive interest and questions about Jinyoung’s latest novel just as much as he’d ever appreciated his unnecessarily pretty face.

This time it's Youngjae snorting derisively in his head, and Jinyoung rolls his eyes at himself. He needs to get a grip and stop being so melodramatic. It doesn't matter if Mark's there or not and Jinyoung's just being a paranoid loser. Fiddling with his costume one last time, he inhales deeply and channels his growing irritation at his own childishness into motivating himself to finally make his way up the sidewalk and brave the chaos of noise and bodies inside.

At first glance around the mess of costumed students under the black lights, Jinyoung almost turns around and leaves anyway, convinced that he’s never going to find his friends and ready to use it as an excuse to bail and avoid all of his worries entirely. He can wait until Tuesday to see Mark at class, and he can go home and spend his Saturday night finishing the newest Stephen King novel.

A sudden burst of movement catches his eye before he can escape out the door though, and Jinyoung turns his head just in time to catch a glimpse of a long golden wig and a red cape before someone tackles him.

“Jinyoungie! You came! I didn’t think you would!”

Jackson’s grip is crushingly tight and the way he decides to show off the benefits of his recent gym schedule by lifting Jinyoung’s feet off the floor has Jinyoung grudgingly admitting that Thor is probably an appropriate costume choice. He also decides that an elbow to the stomach is an appropriate response to Jackson manhandling him, however, and the shorter man lets him drop and falls back, wheezing but still beaming.

Rolling his eyes at Jackson’s infectious grin, Jinyoung jerks his twisted costume back into place and huffs out an excuse. “I'm only here because I was promised free alcohol if I came and damage to my books if I didn’t, not because I want to be here.”

Undeterred, Jackson just laughs and throws an arm over Jinyoung’s shoulder, tugging him deeper into the crowded room and away from Jinyoung’s planned escape route. Jinyoung gives the open door a final, regretful glance.

“I’ll get you a drink, no worries! Come on, the guys are over here—” Jackson shoves their way past a pretty pirate queen making out with Tinkerbell, and Jinyoung’s struck with an eyeful of red fabric. “—well, guys and girls. May I present our lovely Miss Yugyeom and Miss Bambam!”

Looking up from his cup, Yugyeom gives Jackson a mournful expression, and there’s a bright flush across his cheekbones that Jinyoung notices is only a shade lighter than the puffed sleeves and flared skirt of the dress he’s wearing. Jinyoung decides that stopping by the party was worthwhile if only for this, and his lips curl at at the corners when Yugyeom's free hand reaches up to tug awkwardly at his wig as he whines, “Stop teasing, hyung.”

Bambam, on the other hand, looks at ease. One of his long, slender legs is crossed over the other, and Jinyoung has a feeling that the way his skirt is twisted, revealing more of his thigh, is far from accidental. His smirk only adds to Jinyoung’s suspicion as Bambam tilts his head, making the strands of his wig sway around his chin.

Eyelids fluttering, Bambam gives Jackson a sickeningly sweet smile. “Jealous, oppa?” Jinyoung gags and catches sight of Youngjae doing the same. “You could have been just as pretty if you and Jaebum-hyung weren’t such traitors.”

“Leave me out of this,” Jaebum mutters over Jackson's wordless spluttering. “Youngjae asked me to be Ace with him first. Right, Jae?”

Mouth twitching with barely suppressed laughter, Youngjae nods readily, but Jinyoung doesn’t even need to know him as well as he does to see the obvious lie on his face, and Bambam just rolls his eyes, pushing his lips out in a glossy pout.

“I disown all of you as friends. Except Yugyeom. It’s just the two of us from now on.”

“But Youngji gave me the costume!” Jackson’s voice is a wail, face pleading and desperate as if even just the thought of losing Bambam and Yugyeom’s friendship is enough to destroy him, and it’s Jinyoung’s turn to roll his eyes. “I had to wear it for her!”

“Yes, you did. You made the right choice.” Appearing around Jackson’s shoulder, Youngji gives him a bright smile, resting her hand on his forearm, and Jackson's distraught expression morphs into a sappy smile in return. “Jane Foster is an under-appreciated character and deserves to be loved, but no one’s going to recognize me without my big, hulking superhero.”

“He’s not the hulk—” “He’s technically a Norse god—” Jaebum and Youngjae speak over one another, then exchange a look and burst out laughing.

Making a face, Jinyoung rolls his eyes dramatically once again and pretends he hadn’t been about to point out the same things. He's still not sure how these are the friends he ended up with. Crossing his arms, he eyes them all with as much disdain as he can summon. “Am I actually needed here? Because I just remembered that I have very important things to do. Somewhere else. Anywhere else that isn’t here.”

Youngji makes a face at him. “Always the spoilsport, Jinyoung.” Turning to the rest of the group, she jerks her head in his direction. “Did you know he never used to go trick-or-treating with us when we were in middle school?” Jinyoung tries to pretend he's too mature to stick his tongue out at her, but she grins like she knows what he’s thinking anyway. “In fact, I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen him in a costume.”

The quirk of her eyebrows as she looks at him makes Jinyoung abruptly aware of the awkward fit of his clothes and the other reason for his anxiety over the party tonight comes back to him despite his best efforts to ignore it. He can feel a prickle of heat along his neck and covers his rush of embarrassment by giving into his immaturity, poking his tongue out and narrowing his eyes. “I never should have introduced you to anyone in this room.”

“She has a point though.” Jinyoung looks away from the disgusting sight of Jackson making wide-eyed grabby hands at a giggling Youngji—apparently horrified by the thought of never having met her—to find Jaebum eyeing him speculatively. “I’ve known you since elementary school, and I’ve never seen you in a costume either.”

“So? I can’t wear a costume now because you’ve never seen it before?” Snapping, Jinyoung looks away, trying to hide the flush he can feel creeping into his cheeks. The press of the band around his forehead is feeling far too tight under the scrutiny of his friends, and he resists the urge to pull his open collar closed.

“But Sasuke? That's your first choice?” Jaebum’s voice is amused. “I, for one, always thought you were more of a Gara person.”

“Shows what you know.” Crossing his arms over his chest, Jinyoung tries not think about Mark’s light voice comparing him to the character he’s now dressed as. He mostly fails and covers another prickle of flustered discomfort by pulling out his phone and clicking through his missed notifications as he deliberately ignores the snickering of the others.

The more his friends tease him, the more he remembers why he'd been so hesitant to come to the party. He wishes he hadn't let himself be talked into it. The costume is his biggest regret, but when Bambam had tried to recruit him to their girl group team, he'd impulsively blurted out that he already had something planned, and then it was too late. At first, he hadn't been too worried—cautiously optimistic that no one would think to much about his choice—but the teasing now is leaving him a lot less confident. He can only imagine what Mark will think if they run into each other.

“Did you see Mark-hyung yet?” Chewing his lip abstractedly, Jinyoung almost bites through it as he startles at the question, flicking his gaze to Yugyeom and trying to look composed despite the discomforting feeling that Yugyeom has been reading his mind.

The suspicious twist to Yugyeom’s smile doesn't relieve him. Narrowing his eyes, Jinyoung tries to play it off. “Who?”

“Your new friend.” Yugyeom’s glossed lips widen into a real smirk, and Jinyoung remembers too late that Yugyeom was there when Jinyoung met Mark—remembers his smirk at the note Jinyoung left for him. Next to Yugyeom, Bambam raises his eyebrows, intrigued. Out of the corner of his eye, Jinyoung can see Youngjae’s curious head tilt and fights the urge to strangle Yugyeom with the oversized ribbon on his dress. He’s pretty sure the mortified flush he can feel creeping up his neck is already making him conspicuous enough. Probably reading Jinyoung’s intentions in his expression, Yugyeom flutters his fake eyelashes in a way that reminds Jinyoung distinctly of Youngji, and Bambam’s lips curve up, looking impressed. Jinyoung figures he was probably the one to teach Yugyeom the gesture and considers strangling him too.

Jinyoung keeps his shrug deliberately casual. “I haven't seen him. I don't even know if he’s here.” His glance at his phone is instinctive, and he hopes no one caught it.

“He's definitely here.”

Jinyoung concentrates on maintaining his neutral expression in the face of Yugyeom’s ever-widening smirk and not on the inexplicable flip of his stomach. He forces another shrug and lifts an eyebrow, affecting disinterest. “Good for him, then.”

The way Yugyeom's smirk only grows does nothing to loosen the knot in Jinyoung's gut, and Jinyoung decides he’s way too sober to continue dealing with Yugyeom’s weirdness and his own weirder nerves. Avoiding the weight of at least three curious gazes, Jinyoung runs a hand through his hair and shakes it down over the headband with a huff of irritation. “Anyway, as much fun as this has been so far—as in, none—” a whine of complaint from Jackson tells Jinyoung that he caught at least that comment despite the distraction of his impromptu tickle fight with Youngji, “I came to this party for alcohol, not to deal with you losers, so have fun with your pathetic existences, and you can find me by the vodka if you need me.”

“Don't forget to look for Mark-hyung.” Jinyoung turns his back on Yugyeom's smirk before his face gives away his strange nervousness regarding Mark, but Yugyeom just raises his voice to call after him as he walks away. “You two need to find each other tonight! Believe it!”

Pretending that Yugyeom’s snicker isn’t sending heat prickling up his neck, Jinyoung makes his way to the drink table without looking back. His screwdriver is more vodka than orange juice, and he can hear a voice in the back of his mind that sounds suspiciously like his mother’s asking him how drunk he’s planning to get, but he ignores it as he takes a generous sip.

“Sasuke!”

Barely keeping himself from sloshing half his drink down his front when he startles, Jinyoung turns just in time to see a flash of orange dart through a gap in the crowd, and then the full implication of Yugyeom’s teasing hits him as Mark stumbles to a stop in front of him, whiskers painted above his delighted grin, and a Naruto headband holding his hair out of his bright eyes.

Mark’s smile falters, eyes widening with recognition. “Jinyoung?”

Belatedly swallowing his mouthful of drink and willing away the burn creeping back up his neck, Jinyoung ducks his head awkwardly in greeting. “Hey, hyung.”

His drink almost spills again when Mark grabs Jinyoung’s wrists, beaming up at him even more brightly than before. “Jinyoungie! You came!” The fruity scent of alcohol is clear on Mark’s breath, and Jinyoung fights a flustered urge to step back from how close Mark is when the other boy sways, his free hand wrapping around Mark’s wrist to brace him instead. Mark doesn’t seem to notice his own lack of balance, tilting forward so that Jinyoung can easily make out the flush of pink in his cheeks under the streaks of whiskers. “And you dressed like Sasuke! Look! I'm Naruto!”

“Yeah.” Trying to ignore the heat in his own cheeks, Jinyoung gives him a small grin and nods. “I noticed.”

“We match then!”

With the friends he has—Jackson with his octopus imitations and Jaebum with his tendency to curl against people like a cat—Jinyoung should be used to having people in his personal space, but he feels oddly nervous as Mark shifts even closer, unsure of what to do with his hands. He’s all too aware of Mark’s skin against his wrists and his breath brushing against his costume. His stomach gives a little twist when Mark’s smile brightens even more with his pleased giggle, and Jinyoung flicks his gaze away from Mark’s pink mouth and cheeks to stare over his shoulder.

“That means we're supposed to stay together tonight. Like Peanut Butter and Jelly. It's a rule.” Jinyoung's not entirely sure what Mark means, but his voice is high and excited, attracting more attention from the people glancing at them as they block the drink table, and Jinyoung tries to ignore the smirk shot at him by a small guy dressed like Chucky.

His mouth takes over as he coaxes Mark out of the way of the drinks table. “Is that your way of trying to get me to look out for you again, hyung?”

“What?” Mark leans into Jinyoung more heavily as he lets himself be maneuvered, eyes widening at Jinyoung's question. “No, I—”

“I'm just teasing, hyung.” The relief on Mark's face is visible, and Jinyoung's lips twitch despite his lingering awkwardness.

“That's not very nice.” Mark's pout doesn't look horribly upset though, and Jinyoung bites back another smile. Mark doesn't seem to notice, humming as he rakes his gaze over Jinyoung's costume. “You make a nice Sasuke though. I thought you would.” His brow furrows, and he meets Jinyoung's gaze again. “Did I tell you you'd be a good Sasuke?”

Jinyoung's stomach twists anxiously and he can feel a new flush of heat under his skin, but Mark's question is so earnest that he can't bring himself to lie, despite his embarrassment at getting caught. “You mentioned it before. At the other party.”

His anxiety over what Mark will think about him wearing the very costume Mark had mentioned finally eases when Mark responds to the revelation by breaking into another bright smile, looking back over Jinyoung's costume. “Oh yeah!” His nose wrinkles ruefully. “I was drunk then.” Pausing, Mark blinks and meets Jinyoung's eyes again. Leaning a little closer, he lowers his voice to an almost whisper. “I think I'm drunk now.”

The guy in the Chucky costume snorts in dry amusement from where he’s hovering nearby, and Jinyoung tries to swallow his own grin. He’s starting to remember just how much he had enjoyed Mark’s company at the last party, and he gives Mark a small smile, squeezing his wrist lightly.

“That's okay, hyung.” Reevaluating that statement when Mark sways again with a bright grin, Jinyoung remembers Jackson’s comment about Mark and alcohol-induced comas and hopes he's not about to pass out on him. “How much did you drink though?”

“I don’t know.” Mark’s slightly dazed frown is not very reassuring. “Amber gave me a drink before, and then Peniel let me have some of his, but then I saw you and left it.”

“Did you have any food or water?” Jinyoung can hear Jaebum’s voice whining at him for acting like a mom in the back of his head, but he pushes it aside and slides his hand up Mark’s arm to cup his elbow for better support when he sways once more with a hard shake of his head.

“No. Too nervous.”

Jinyoung’s opening his mouth to ask what had him too nervous to eat when someone rams into Mark from behind, sending him staggering off balance. Jinyoung’s question vanishes in a startled exhale as he lunges to steady Mark without spilling his drink and ends up catching him awkwardly with his back against the wall. Chests pressed together and one of Jinyoung’s arms around his waist, Mark blinks up at him slowly over the painted whiskers on his flushed cheeks, and Jinyoung gets caught on the flutter of his lashes and the small, surprised circle of his pink lips. A rasping laugh from the lingering guy in the Chucky costume snaps Jinyoung out of his daze, and he drags his gaze away quickly, ignoring the quick thump of his heart and the twist of his stomach when he pushes Mark away and helps him stand on his own.

Mark’s still staring at him, eyes wide and startled, and Jinyoung avoids them as he clears his throat. “Let's get you some food, water, and fresh air, okay?”

Making sure Mark won't fall, Jinyoung keeps his arm around his waist as he tugs him away from the drinks and past the smirking Chucky, and pretends he doesn’t notice the way Mark’s head tilts against his shoulder with his nod as he grabs a water bottle. They detour by the tables of food, and Mark steals a bag of chips and one of candy, sticking them behind his back in a way that’s far from subtle and giving Jinyoung a lopsided grin. Jinyoung grins back helplessly as he guides a giggling Mark in a stumbling mess through the back door—performing his own act of thievery when he grabs a blanket he spots over the back of a chair—and it’s barely closed behind them before he's giving in to his own amusement. His laughter sets Mark off again, doubling him over so Jinyoung is half carrying him by the time they cross the wide porch and collapse onto the porch swing.

“I don’t even know what’s so funny.” Jinyoung's gasping around his laughter, and Mark is no better, his breathless giggles making the pink flush under his painted whiskers even darker in the yellow porch light and the chill of the night air.

Smacking the candy bag against the back of the swing and sending a chocolate bar falling to the floor, Mark shrugs widely. “Nothing. Everything.”

His grin is blindingly bright, curved eyes glittering in the light, and Jinyoung realizes his arm is trapped between Mark and the swing bench, still hooked around his waist. He extracts it quickly, and lifts the blanket between them as a distraction, ignoring the lingering warmth against his skin. “Is anyone going to be mad that I brought this out here?”

“It’s okay.” Mark wriggles around on the seat, twisting so he’s almost facing Jinyoung and beams again. “It’s mine.” Biting his lip, he glances at the snack bags in his hands and his grin widens. “So’re these.”

Jinyoung can't help laughing again. “Then why did we sneak them out?”

“It’s more fun that way!” Mark flings his arms out again dramatically, knocking himself off balance in the process, and his flailing sends the swing jolting wildly.

Letting the blanket fall messily across their laps and catching Mark by the shoulders before he goes tumbling to the ground, Jinyoung grins at him and shakes his head. “You’re kind of a mess, hyung.”

“I’m kind of drunk.” Mark nods somberly and allows Jinyoung to drag him into a more secure position on the bench, and Jinyoung presses his lips together to avoid snorting his amusement in Mark's face.

“Maybe a little bit, yeah.” Twisting the cap off the water bottle, he offers it to Mark in exchange for the chip bag, and Mark drinks it readily, ignoring the trickle of spilled liquid that escapes down his neck. Jinyoung watches it disappear behind the high collar of his Naruto jacket. “Are you having fun tonight?”

“I guess.” Mark leaves the candy in his lap to hook a finger under his headband and tug significantly, giving Jinyoung another bright grin. “I like Halloween.”

“So you’ve mentioned.” Jinyoung smirks and straightens the blanket over Mark's knees, then pauses as a thought occurs to him. “I hope I didn't just drag you away unwillingly. If you want to go back in, you—”

“No, no.” Waving his free hand aimlessly at Jinyoung, Mark cuts him off quickly. “I’m okay!”

“Are you sure?” Fiddling with the chip bag, Jinyoung grabs a handful just to keep himself occupied. “I'm not trying to kidnap you or something.”

A few chips vanish from his hand when Mark snatches them, and Mark grins at Jinyoung cheekily around a messy mouthful, shaking his head. “You didn't! We have to stick together anyway.” He points significantly between their headbands, and Jinyoung rolls his eyes, fighting to keep from smiling back when Mark's grin brightens even more as he swallows, then steals the rest of the chips from Jinyoung’s hand. “We have costumes and food, so I’m happy.”

“That’s all you need for a good Halloween?” Jinyoung's grin breaks free when he reaches for a new handful of chips only to have those snatched immediately as well.

Nodding and shoving the newest chips into his mouth, Mark bends his head to dig around in the candy bag before pulling out a KitKat bar with a happy hum. “Dressing up is fun.” With another grin, he meets Jinyoung’s gaze as he unwraps the candy, and his tongue peeks out between his teeth. “Right, Sasuke?”

Jinyoung's lips twitch up at Mark's playful expression, but he can feel heat flushing his cheeks, rubbing his neck awkwardly with his free hand. “I guess so. I don’t really do this much.”

“What? Be a ninja?” Mark shoves the chocolate bar in his mouth, making his cheeks puff out under his wide eyes.

A warm rush of something like affection has Jinyoung smiling even as he shakes his head. “Wear costumes.”

Nearly choking on his chocolate bar, Mark's eyes widen further at Jinyoung’s answer, and he flails as he once again wriggles around to face Jinyoung better, swallowing the candy quickly. “You don’t dress up for Halloween?” He seems legitimately upset by the idea. “That’s so sad.”

Mark’s expression is so miserable that Jinyoung can only blame his devastation on the alcohol, but he does his best to avoid laughing in the face of his distress, pressing his lips together to hide his amusement. Shrugging, he steals a piece of candy from the bag in Mark’s lap. “I just never really felt the need to put on some costume and run around in it.”

“I used to wear my Spider-Man costume under my regular clothes everyday.”

Jinyoung pauses with his candy halfway to his mouth and raises his eyebrows. “You what?”

Head tilting onto the back of the swing bench, Mark's distraught expression vanishes as he grins at Jinyoung, teeth catching on his lip. “So I would be ready in case I needed to take out some bad guys.”

“Of course.” Jinyoung bites his own lips together as they twitch.

“I even took Taekwondo so I would be ready if a… a…” Trailing off, Mark pulls his eyebrows together. “I can’t remember the word... a special spider.”

“You mean a radioactive spider?” Jinyoung's grin slips free, but Mark doesn't seem offended, nodding and almost smacking his head against the wood of the bench.

“Yeah. I wanted to be ready if it bit me, so I took classes and got a black belt.”

Jinyoung's eyebrows lift. “You have a black belt in Taekwondo?” At least that explained the glimpse of toned forearms Jinyoung had caught sight of last week. Not that he’d been thinking about Mark’s muscles since then.

Nodding again, Mark's round eyes look way too gentle for a trained black belt, blinking up at Jinyoung out of his delicate features, and Jinyoung wonders how many other unexpected revelations are hiding behind Mark's pretty face. “It was so I could be the best Spider-Man ever. Better than Peter Parker.” Mark suddenly freezes, and his eyes widen even further. “Oh. That was a secret.”

Startled out of him, Jinyoung’s laughter escapes despite his efforts, but he presses a hand to his mouth to muffle it at Mark’s look of dismay. “Sorry. I’m sorry. Just…” He scrubs at his face, but he can’t quite erase his grin. “That’s adorable.”

Forehead wrinkling under his headband, Mark grimaces in skeptical disbelief, and Jinyoung pokes him in the crease between his eyebrows impulsively, lips still quirked. Mark's expression melts into surprise, and Jinyoung becomes abruptly aware of the warmth of Mark’s smooth skin under his fingertip, pulling his hand away quickly and folding his arms.

Tucking his hands under his elbows, he ignores the flustered heat creeping up his neck. “Don’t argue.” Hiding his sudden awkwardness behind teasing, he grins. “The fact that you took Taekwondo and ran around in a Spider-Man suit just to be ready for your superhero transformation is adorable. Let me enjoy this image of Tiny Baby Mark.”

“But I was ten.” Mark seems to catch himself a moment too late when Jinyoung pauses and blinks, and his eyes widen. “I didn’t mean to say that either.”

Jinyoung doesn’t even try to stop his laughter this time, the hand covering his mouth barely hiding his huge grin, but Mark’s frozen dismay quickly thaws into an embarrassed smile as he hooks his arm over the back of the swing bench and half-hides his face in it. Taking in the way his eyes curve over the tops of his pink cheeks where he peeks out over his elbow, Jinyoung wonders how Mark would react if he told him Mark could run around in a Spider-Man suit every day now and still be one of the cutest people Jinyoung had ever seen. He looks away before he gives in to the temptation, and reaches for another piece of candy.

“So did you always dress up as Spider-Man for Halloween?” He waits until he's tossed the candy in his mouth before looking back at Mark, pretty sure he can at least resist the urge to say something weird, mushy, and entirely unlike himself while he has a mouthful of chocolate.

Shaking his head, Mark lifts his chin to prop it on his elbow instead of hiding it behind. “No. I always dressed up with my siblings and we would go out together for Treating.”

Jinyoung frowns and swallows his candy .“You mean Trick-or-Treating?”

“Nope.” Grinning brightly, Mark wriggles around until his feet are on the bench and his knees are pulled to his chest, blanket still draped over them. “I mean just treating. We only went out for candy. We saved all the tricking for at home.”

There's a mischievous glint to Mark’s smile, and Jinyoung twists to eye Mark fully, arching an eyebrow. “Now I’m intrigued.”

Mark's laugh is a delighted giggle, and Jinyoung’s mouth twitches up even before an explanation. “We used to play a lot of pranks on each other when we were kids—me, my brother, and my sister—and one year my dad got tired of it and said we could only prank each other on Halloween.”

“So you would go get ‘treats’ together and then turn around and play ‘tricks’ on each other?” Jinyoung raises his other eyebrow, mouth turning up again.

Nodding, Mark beams shamelessly. “Yep.”

Jinyoung has always appreciated growing up as an only child, but he has the sudden sense of having missed out. “I feel like I would like your family.”

“It was so much fun.” Mark's smile shows no hint of sarcasm. “One year I covered my brother’s floor with legos while he was sleeping. He was my alarm in the morning.”

It occurs to Jinyoung that he was definitely way too hasty to assume that Mark was as soft on the inside as he looked on the outside. The realization comes with a pleased buzz that has him struggling to hold back a grin. “That’s evil.”

“He broke my gaming console.” Voice matter of fact, Mark reaches for another handful of chips.

Biting his lower lip to stop his smile from escaping, Jinyoung nods sagely. “Well that changes everything.”

“I knew you’d see it my way.” The smile Mark shoots him is blindingly bright, even with the mess of chip crumbs at the corner of his mouth, and Jinyoung can't help grinning back as Mark hooks an arm around his knees and leans forward to continue. “My sister was the worst though.” There's a hint of combined frustration and respect in Mark’s expression, and Jinyoung props an elbow on the back of the bench, pressing his fist to his mouth to hold back an amused snort. “She put spray cheese in my mouth while I was sleeping once. It’s been eight years, and I’m still plotting my revenge.”

Jinyoung’s laugh huffs out anyway, but Mark isn't bothered, laughing with him and tilting against the swing back comfortably.

A small yawn slips out, Mark’s lips curving in a small, pink circle, and Jinyoung’s grin softens.“It sounds like you had a lot of fun with your siblings.”

“Yeah.” Mark’s eyes flick away, and Jinyoung feels a pang of guilt when his smile dims. “I miss my family a lot. Especially during holidays.”

Thinking about his own too-infrequent trips to Busan, Jinyoung grimaces. “Sorry. Yeah. I guess you couldn’t have easily seen them for Chuseok.”

“I mean, my family doesn't celebrate Chuseok, but yeah.” Mark shrugs listlessly, eyes still tracing over something in the distance. “It kinda sucked staying at school alone and knowing everyone was getting to visit their families.”

Jinyoung isn't sure when his hand gravitated to Mark’s knee, but he lets it rest there lightly when Mark doesn't shift away. “Have you gone to visit them since you came to Korea?”

“No.” Mark’s eyes drop to the porch floor. “I haven’t made it back.”

“Not even over the summer?” Jinyoung half expects Mark to snap at him and tell him to mind his own business because it's not as if they know each other well enough to be expected to share all their life secrets, but Mark just shrugs.

“No. I… I don’t know if I can go back.” There's an odd strain in his voice, and Jinyoung squeezes his knee instinctively, curving his hand around it.

Bottom lip caught between his teeth, Mark’s eyes flick to Jinyoung’s fingers, but Jinyoung doesn’t move his hand, leaning closer to Mark and softening his voice. “What do you mean, hyung?”

Mark’s gaze stays on Jinyoung’s hand as he chews his lip. For a moment, Jinyoung thinks he won’t answer, and he’s about to apologize for his forwardness when Mark takes a deep breath and lifts his gaze to Jinyoung’s. The side of his mouth quirks, but there’s no real humor in the expression. “I didn’t actually come to Korea because I wanted to. I mean I chose to come here, but…” Pausing, Mark drops his gaze back to Jinyoung’s hand on his knee, darting over it as he looks for words. “It was just because I needed to get away from LA and I didn’t know where else to go. See, I knew Jackson because of this online Chinese program my parents signed me up for, and he kept talking about this school in Korea that he was gonna go to and how I should visit him because I already knew some Korean thanks to my aunt and cousins, and it… just kind of happened.”

Jinyoung’s not sure what to say. A part of him already feels guilty for asking so many questions when Mark’s drunk enough to talk about anything, but he can’t ignore the burning press of curiosity mixed with concern. “Why did you need to leave LA?”

Shrugging, Mark hunches forward, and his jaw brushes against Jinyoung’s fingers when he props his chin on his other knee. “There were people bullying me.” Jinyoung’s hand tightens automatically, and the rush of anger that washes over him catches him almost as off guard as the revelation. “I didn’t know how else to get away.”

The question at the front of Jinyoung’s mind is how in the world someone could bully Mark with his gentle eyes and bright smiles and delighted giggles, followed by the second question of where he could find these bullies and knock some sense into them, but Mark’s lost expression stops him, and he goes with a different sort of question. “Does Jackson know?”

Mark’s cheek brushes against Jinyoung’s hand again when he shakes his head, and Jinyoung pushes aside the impulsive urge to stroke it. “No. I didn’t want him to worry, so I didn’t tell him. Or my family. I didn’t want anyone to know, so never told anyone why I left. Or why I’m afraid to go back.” Mark’s gaze flicks up to Jinyoung’s, and Jinyoung isn't sure what kind of face he’s making, but it makes the tightness around Mark’s eyes ease slightly, and his lips push out in a pout that’s more dramatics than emotion. “Except you, I guess. I keep telling you things I don’t mean to tell anyone.” He tilts his head and his cheek rests on Jinyoung’s knuckles. “Sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t drink at parties anymore, huh?”

His half-smile with the last comment is weak, but Jinyoung plays along with his attempt to lighten the mood, smiling back and nudging his hand against Mark’s cheek. “Don’t be sorry, hyung. I don’t mind. You can tell me anything about yourself.” Jerking one shoulder in a half-shrug, he nods his head toward the porch door and twists his smile into a smirk. “Or about Jackson, honestly. If you know any of his weaknesses, you should definitely tell me those.”

His joke works, and Mark huffs out a laugh. It’s not the bright laughter that Jinyoung has gotten used to, but his smile is genuine when he lifts his head from his knees. “Only if you promise not to tell him how you found out.”

Schooling his features into a look of mock solemnity, Jinyoung nods. “I’ll protect your testimony with my life. So, no pressure, but you’d better tell me the right sort of weaknesses or Jackson’s going to crush me with those stupidly buff arms of his. Or his thighs.” The mental image of that flashes across his mind and he grimaces. “Scratch that. I’d take myself out before letting him get that close.”

This time Mark’s laughter is real, bright and amused, and Jinyoung feels a rush of pride and relief at seeing him smile that almost overwhelms him. He can’t help smiling back in return, and for a long moment they just stare at each other, grinning. Delayed, Jinyoung realizes his hand is still on Mark’s knee, and he starts to pull it away only to find it caught between both of Mark’s.

“I knew you would be a good friend, Park Jinyoung. Thanks. For everything.”

Jinyoung feels heat creep along his cheeks and darts his gaze away from Mark’s warm eyes and soft smile. “Don’t thank me yet, hyung. If you think I’m a good friend you obviously haven’t talked to Jaebum yet.”

“Jaebum?” Jinyoung can see Mark’s grin out of the corner of his eye.

“Yep. I guess you never heard about what I did to him back in high school?”

“No. What happened?”

Jinyoung’s lips quirk up in a smirk at the anticipation in Mark’s voice. “He made me mad about something—I don’t even remember what—and I decided to get revenge.” He meets Mark’s eyes again as his grin widens, and Jinyoung struggles to avoid mirroring him instinctively. “I waited until I knew he was going out of town with his friends for a club trip, and then I got his mom to let me into his room—which was easy since she loves me—and I planted grass in his computer keyboard. By the time he got back, it was an inch tall. He had to get a new keyboard, and his mom refused to believe that I could have done anything.”

Mark's laugh is delighted. “So I shouldn’t get on your bad side, I guess?”

The peek of Mark’s tongue through his grin makes his teasing obvious, and Jinyoung grins back. “Or just run the other way to start with.”

Still grinning, Mark shakes his head. “You’re not so scary, Jinyoungie. Jackson made me mad once and I texted everyone in his phone saying that he was in love with them.”

Impressed, Jinyoung’s eyebrows lift. “That was you?”

Mark grins unrepentatly. “That was me.”

“Nicely done.” A thought occurs to Jinyoung. “Wait. Isn’t that how he got his first date with Youngji?”

Shrugging, Mark sighs dramatically. “My dad always said pranks have consequences.”

Jinyoung’s laughter startles out of him, and Mark beams, seeming pleased by Jinyoung’s amusement. The loss and sadness from earlier is nowhere to be seen in his expression, and there's a warm rush of relief in Jinyoung's veins even as the ache of concern still gnaws at his chest. He looks away from Mark’s smile before he does something else impulsive—like give in to the urge to hug him and never let go—and searches for the candy as a distraction.

He almost misses Mark’s simultaneous shiver and yawn, but he catches it just before Mark presses his face into his knees to hide it.

“Tired, hyung?”

“I'm fine.” Mark's expression makes it obvious that he was trying not to get caught, and Jinyoung grins crookedly at him. “I just get sleepy when I drink.”

“So that's why you shivered?” Jinyoung shakes his head and reaches out to grab the bags. “Come on, let's go back inside before Jackson kills me for letting you freeze.”

Wrinkling his nose, Mark looks less than impressed by Jinyoung's motivations. “I said I'm fine.”

It's Jinyoung's turn to scrunch his nose, and he lets his voice go cutesy as he leans closer to Mark, jabbing a finger against his knee cap. “Mark-hyung...”

“Mark.”

Jinyoung pulls back, blinking. “What?”

There's a dull flush spreading across Mark's cheeks. “You don't have to call me Hyung. If you don't want to. I know you're probably used to it, so maybe it would be awkward, but I'm still not really used to it, so if you want to just call me by my name, you—“

Pressing a finger to Mark's mouth to stop his rambling, Jinyoung smiles. “Okay, Mark.” Mark exhales through his nose, and his lips curve up against Jinyoung's finger. Biting his lip, Jinyoung pulls it away, feeling suddenly shy, and clears his throat. “Would you please come inside then, Mark?”

Mark huffs, rolling his eyes, but his lips stay curved up at the corners. “Are you always so bossy, Jinyoungie?”

“Yes.”

Laughing, Mark pushes the blanket off his knees. “Fine. I guess I should make sure Jackson knows I'm not dead.”

Jackson finds them almost as soon as they walk through the door, swooping down on Mark with Youngji right behind, and clucking at him like a mother hen. Mark grimaces at Jinyoung over Jackson's shoulder as Jackson apparently checks his bones for breaks, and Jinyoung smirks at him, pretending he doesn't feel a weird sense of loss with Jackson between them and shuffling Mark away to bundle him on the sofa to get warm. Jinyoung ends up leaning against the back of Youngjae's chair across from the sofa, partly-participating in the debate about recent dramas that had sprung up between Youngjae, Yugyeom, Bambam, and a few other people Jinyoung doesn't know, and mostly sneaking glances at Mark's sleepy smiles out of the corner of his eye and watching his blinks get slower. It's almost a relief when Youngji shoos Mark off to bed because Jinyoung's not quite sure what to make of his sudden preoccupation, but he's glad for Mark's detour in his direction first before heading for the stairs.

Mark's Naruto headband is already horribly askew, and he tugs at it as he smiles at Jinyoung. “I've been banished.”

“Good. I was about to do it myself.” Jinyoung smirks at the flash of surprise on Mark's face, and Mark's lip pushes out sulkily. Jinyoung resists the urge to poke him in the pout.

“You're as bossy as Youngji.”

“I told you so.”

Mark grimaces at him, and Jinyoung laughs softly.

“I guess I'll see you Tuesday, then?” There's something about Mark's tone that almost makes it a question, and Jinyoung finds himself nodding.

“Yeah. Tuesday. Don't forget about the quiz.”

Groaning, Mark wrinkles his nose again, and Jinyoung once again loses himself to his impulses. “Actually...” Jinyoung swallows against a flutter of nerves at Mark's curious head tilt. “I'm probably going to be at the library studying tomorrow if you wanted to join me.”

“Oh.” Mark's voice is soft, eyes flickering with surprise, and Jinyoung has just enough time to wonder if his question was too forward before his face breaks into a pleased smile. “Yeah. That would be great.”

“Yeah, okay.” Letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, Jinyoung smiles back. “I'll send you a message with the time and stuff. It probably won't be until afternoon because Sunday mornings belong to church goers and Satan.”

Mark's laugh is loud, and Jinyoung sees Yugyeom turning away from his conversation, eyebrows arching under the fringe of his wig. “Okay. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, then.”

“Tomorrow. Now go sleep.”

“Bossy.” Mark doesn't sound like it bothers him, and he grins brightly when Jinyoung sticks his tongue out in response.

As Mark pushes through the people still partying around the house, Jinyoung senses someone sidling up beside him.

“So Sasuke and Naruto.” Yugyeom’s smirk is as smug as his voice when Jinyoung glances at him.

Jinyoung wills away the heat he can feel crawling up his neck. “It was just a coincidence.”

“Yeah.” Yugyeom looks pointedly after Mark, and Jinyoung deliberately doesn't follow his gaze. “And I'm sure the way you were looking at him like he was your favorite book in human form was just an accident.”

“Shut up.” Yugyeom’s wig twists sideways when Jinyoung yanks on it, and he pulls away with a squawk of protest. “As if anyone could blame me for appreciating Mark’s company after dealing with little shits like you.”

“Ooh, Mark’s company? Not Mark-hyung?”

Jinyoung flashes his gaze to Youngjae at his interjection, narrowing his eyes. “I will get Jaebum to dump water on you in your sleep. Don't test me.”

It feels like admitting some kind of defeat to make his excuses and leave with Youngjae and Yugyeom still cackling together behind him, but Jinyoung finds the bitter taste of losing the upper hand less upsetting than usual as he makes his way home. There's a trash bag next to his bed, waiting for him to toss his costume into as soon as he changes, and Jinyoung eyes it briefly before folding the cheap fabric and tucking it into the bottom draw of his dresser. He may never wear it again, but he's not sure he's quite ready to get rid of it.

Besides, the glory of having his own dorm room is that no one ever has to know if he keeps a crappy costume or sets his alarm two hours earlier than usual on a Sunday morning. And if he falls asleep thinking about bright laughter and orange tracksuits, it's no one's business but his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The wait on this was much longer (and the chapter itself is rather longer!) than I planned and it's still messier than I hoped, but here is chapter 2 at last! The Christmas season is always far more stressful and busy than I anticipate, but hopefully I won't keep you waiting so long again! Much love to all of you for reading and leaving kudos and comments on this silly mess of mine so far... I hope it's bringing you some small enjoyment!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I hope you're enjoying this mess of a story as I run away with my ideas once again! If you like it, hate it, or have anything to say, please leave a comment below, or you can come find me to talk about my stories and anything else about GOT7 on Tumblr at [mark2young2jae](http://mark2young2jae.tumblr.com/)!


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